1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dishwasher, and more particularly, to a filter assembly employing a cleaning nozzle to clean the filters of a dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a general dishwasher is comprised of a washtub 4, installed in a body 2 forming an exterior, for holding tableware and the like on a sliding rack 12; a sump 6, installed under the washtub, for collecting runoff water; a plurality of injection nozzles 14 for spraying water toward the rack from an injection passage 14a connected to the sump; a wash pump assembly 8, installed at one side of the sump, for circulating water using a wash pump 8b connected to a pump body 8a; a drain pump assembly 10, installed at the other side of the sump, for draining the water; and a filter assembly 20, installed in a filter holder 6a provided at a center of the sump, for filtering waste particles from the water before draining or re-circulating.
The filter assembly 20 includes a series of concentrically first, second, and third filters 22, 24, and 26, each of which is provided with a progressively larger receptacle for fitting one into the other. Accordingly, as the circulating water passes through the filters 22, 24, and 26, large waste particles are filtered prior to smaller particles. After using the dishwasher, a user manually removes from the filters 22, 24, and 26 the waste filtered by the filter assembly 20.
In the above dishwasher using a filter assembly according to the related art, however, minute particles of waste tend to accumulate on the outer filter 26, to block the filters and impede water circulation accordingly. A reduction of water circulation degrades washing performance, and a complete blockage will preclude operation and force the user to clean the filters manually.